Government cloud computing and the policies of data sovereignty

Government cloud services are a new development at the intersection of electronic government and cloud computing which holds the promise of rendering government service delivery more effective and efficient. Cloud services are virtual, dynamic and potentially stateless which has triggered governments' concern about data sovereignty. This paper explores data sovereignty in relation to government cloud services and how national strategies and international policy evolve. It concludes that for countries data sovereignty presents a legal risk which can not be adequately addressed with technology or through contractual arrangements alone. Governments therefore adopt strategies to retain exclusive jurisdiction over government information. --cloud computing,electronic government,data sovereignty,data ownership,information assurance,international data transfers

Online Personal Data Processing and EU Data Protection Reform. CEPS Task Force Report, April 2013

This report sheds light on the fundamental questions and underlying tensions between current policy objectives, compliance strategies and global trends in online personal data processing, assessing the existing and future framework in terms of effective regulation and public policy. Based on the discussions among the members of the CEPS Digital Forum and independent research carried out by the rapporteurs, policy conclusions are derived with the aim of making EU data protection policy more fit for purpose in today’s online technological context. This report constructively engages with the EU data protection framework, but does not provide a textual analysis of the EU data protection reform proposal as such

Sedimentological studies of the "Ilha de Marchantaria" in the Solimões/Amazon River near Manaus

Sedimentological studies on the Ilha de Marchantaria an island in the Amazon river near Manaus reveal the existence of four different structural main units. A: Sandy channel bars consisting of giant ripples constitute deposits for the formation of islands or newly formed areas of the Varzea. B: Gradual accumulation on the channel bars leads to the formation of point bar ridges which consist chiefly of small-scale ripples. C: Between point bar ridges of different ages there exist swales. During rising water level the river water flows from the downward side into the swales where finegrained sediments are deposited. D: Permanent lakes are formed mainly in the centre of the islands. During low water periods the lakes may be cut of from the river. During high water periods when the whole island is flooded by the river, additional sedimentation takes place especially in the upstream area of the island. There is however, extensive erosion of the banks on the upstream side of the island. By erosion of the upstream end and sedimentation processes on the downstream end the island moves slowly downstream

THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF AFTER-SALES SERVICES FOR THE INSURANCE OF GROWTH IN CUSTOMER-VALUE-ORIENTED MANAGEMENT: AN OBSERVATION OF SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED INDUSTRIAL GOODS MANUFACTURERS

Small and medium-sized companies in the investment goods industry find themselves more and more often confronted with radical changes in the conditions of their business environments. The access to one dimensional growth just by selling physical products is becoming increasingly limited. Traditional means are suffering of a constant loss of effectiveness. But even though it has been shown that there are enormous chances in the area of after-sales services in this industry, small- and medium-sized industrial goods manufacturers obtain only about 25% of their turnover with services, due to an insufficient strategic involvement of this topic. On the basis of a long term perspective and against the background of the discussions on stakeholder integration, strategic business segments and the customer-lifetime-value, this paper focuses on the different possibilities of accessing new market potentials by combining and analyzing the implications of different strategic perspectives on after-sales-services and their effects on the customer-lifetime-value.After-Sales Services; Investment goods industry; Capital goods; Strategic marketing; Strategic business segment.

Follow the Money! Ownership & Financial Transparency should be a Media Policy Standard

The Council and the Commission of the European Union have so far steered clear of initiating new regulations in response to the High Level Group’s report and other recent calls for action on media freedom and plurality. Nevertheless, Media scholar Kristina Irion of the University of Amsterdam and the Central European University argues that the Union could already do much more to improve the situation in counties of the Western Balkan region by making ownership and financial transparency in the media sector a condition of the accession process

Defeating Silicosis: Aluminum Therapy\u27s Impact on Industry

At its peak, Silicosis was defined as the most important industrial disease of the twentieth century. This disease was extremely widespread and affected almost every major industry involved with processing hard rock. Several factors led to the dissemination of this disease among the laborers of the world, especially, the lack of knowledge and understanding of the causes of silicosis and means of its prevention. As industry developed and technology progressed, industry and science made significant advances towards understanding and eliminating silicosis from the factories and mines of the world. This disease\u27s eradication, however, required the cooperation of all affected. Proper use and integration of the various new technologies would be the key to eliminating silicosis. Industries experience in the early twentieth century shows that protection of industrial health must be realized through proper planning and an understanding that no simple answer exists to the problems industry faces

Science communication: a career where PhDs can make a difference.

Among careers for biologists with PhDs, science communication is one of the most diverse and rewarding pathways. Myriad options exist, from traditional journalism to new media, from writing for specialists to working in public outreach. Textbooks, mass-market books, and freelance writing that combines many of these pursuits are all viable choices. Communicating about science allows researchers to step away from the minutiae of a subdiscipline and to once again explore the breadth of science more fully through an ever-evolving array of stories. A doctoral degree can confer distinct advantages in the eyes of prospective editors and employers. Here I describe those advantages, possible career directions, and steps toward making such a transition